System and method for capturing and transmitting image data streams

Abstract

A method and system for capturing and transmitting image data streams. In one embodiment, the method includes capturing image data with a image sensor; creating a window within the image data and creating a detailed image data stream based on the windowed image data; reducing the image data and creating a contextual image data stream based on the reduced image data; and transmitting the detailed image data stream and the contextual image data stream.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60 / 821,941, entitled “Concept for Inexpensive High Resolution Remote Cameras” and filed on 9 Aug. 2006, which is incorporated in its entirety by this reference.TECHNICAL FIELD [0002] This invention relates generally to the surveillance field, and more specifically to an improved system and methods for capturing and transmitting images in the surveillance field. BACKGROUND [0003] Cameras, including both still cameras and video encoders, are often used to survey a building, a site, or other locations. Because the camera can typically gather more information than the communication network can handle, the camera produces and transmits a compressed version of the image or video. While there are some compression algorithms that can preserve all of the information of the image or video, the most effective compression algorithms drop information (and create “lossy” images o...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

There are three problems with this approach.

First, real-time compression requires significant computational effort, adding to the cost of the sensor.

Second, for analytics and / or viewing, each compressed video stream then needs to be decompressed at the central server, adding additional cost and time.

Third, automatic image analysis is compromised when using lossy images or video.

The cost components of remote sensor systems are typically in the expense of cabling and the electronics.

Typically, the 100 Mbit / sec CAT-5 cable has inadequate capacity to transport high resolution imagery at high speed.

The compression techniques have the drawbacks of requiring considerable computation, thus raising the overall cost and power requirements of the system.

In addition, such techniques, being lossy, reduce the recovered image quality after decompression and thus impede automatic analysis at the image server.

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